1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to chiropractic aids used accompanying chiropractic therapy, and in particular to chiropractic aids for chiropractic therapy to correct curvature of the spine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Knee pillows and rectangular pillows are conventional examples of chiropractic aids used on the floor or bed. A knee pillow that is commercially available is a triangular cylinder whose transverse length is 40 cm, and in cross-sectional contour is a triangle whose sides are 25 cmxc3x9727 cmxc3x9730 cm in length. A specific example of this pillow is represented by E (and referred to as xe2x80x9cknee pillow Exe2x80x9d hereinafter) in FIG. 12. The knee pillow E is put under the legs in the supine position.
A rectangular pillow that is commercially available is a quadrilateral cylinder whose sides are 8 cmxc3x9713 cmxc3x9733 cm in length. A specific example of this pillow is represented by F (and referred to as xe2x80x9crectangular pillow Fxe2x80x9d hereinafter) in FIG. 13.
An additional example of such chiropractic aids is a chest-resting pad used when the treatment bed does not have a hollow to accommodate the face. This chest-resting pad is wedge-shaped in cross-sectional contour in the portion on which the chest rests, and oblong in the portion for the face; its width is the width of the body or so; and a U-shaped notch that the face enters is formed in the center of the rectangular portion. Any of these therapeutic aids are used by therapists while giving therapeutic treatment.
When a human being is standing erect, the spine in its normal condition, which is shown in FIG. 19xe2x80x94a left-side view of the spinexe2x80x94is anteroposteriorly curved by the groups of muscles that support it. Curvature in the lumbosacral region, indicated as Y in FIG. 19, is particularly crucial.
The curvature in the lumbosacral region Y is balanced erect by muscle groupsxe2x80x94one specific example of which are the iliacus musclesxe2x80x94involving the front and back of the sacrum (S in FIG. 19), and by muscle groupsxe2x80x94one specific example of which are the psoas major musclesxe2x80x94involving the front and back of the lumbar vertebrae (LV in FIG. 19).
On the other hand, in the supine position the spine normally becomes nearly horizontal, that is, the anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region Y approaches being truly upright, as is illustrated in FIG. 20A.
Notwithstanding what curvature in the lumbosacral region should be, in daily life: a) one and the same posture is often assumed for long periods, leading to muscle fatigue and muscle tension because only the same muscles are used, and giving rise to deterioration of the abdominal and back muscles; and b) working long hours in a forward-leaning posture increases frontward distortion (lordotic curvature) in the lumbar vertebrae, because the back muscles and extensor muscle groups of the trunk, such as those in the anterior side of the thighs, are extensively used while one is unawares. Moreover, c) often being in a posture of sitting in place tends to deteriorate the flexor muscle groups of the trunk, such as the abdominal muscles and the muscles of the buttocks, and makes the extensor muscle groups of the trunk relatively strong, which also increases frontward distortion (lordotic curvature) in the lumbar vertebrae.
Compounding of these causes ends up leaving anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region Y in the same state even when in the supine position, because the muscle-group tension that acts when standing upright persists. FIG. 20B illustrates this condition.
When this muscle-group tension remains, sustaining curvature in the lumbosacral region Y as shown in FIG. 20B, distortion is induced in the spine, which has various bad effectsxe2x80x94for example, giving rise to low-back pain.
Therefore, the present inventor inventedxe2x80x94and filed Japanese Pat. App. No. 2001-151373 onxe2x80x94aids for active corrective therapy in order to correct lumbosacral anteroposterior curvature in the supine position and horizontally condition the spine, in order that is, to make anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region truly upright.
This invention involves aids for chiropractic therapy used accompanying chiropractic treatment, and renders chiropractic aids lent the capacity to release tension in the muscle groups that act to form anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region of the spine, so as to enable correcting anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region to be close to truly upright.
The invention in particular is the utilizing of three types of wedge-shaped pad, whose cross-sectional contour is wedge-shaped and whose transverse width is the width of the body or soxe2x80x94being: a short-span wedge-shaped pad B, as shown in FIG. 9, of length that covers the buttocks when the ridge of the wedge is set against the lumbosacral region; a mid-span wedge-shaped pad C, as shown in FIG. 10, of length to reach the knee; and a long-span wedge-shaped pad D, as shown in FIG. 11, of length to cover the parietal regionxe2x80x94and employing one pad to three of the pads in combination, according to different figures and to individual differences in anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region of the spine, to enable correction of lumbosacral anteroposterior curvature into a condition at will in a range extending to truly upright.
The invention furthermore is the utilization of a convertible triangular pillowxe2x80x94which is characterized in that: two right-triangular cylindrical members whose cross-sectional contour is made up of right-triangular shapes having a long side and a short side are combined; the right-angle corners of right-triangular cylinders are hinged together; and surface fasteners are provided respectively on the surfaces defined by the right-angle corner and the long side, and the right-angle corner and the short side; and by fastening with the surface fasteners the surfaces defined by the matching short sides, and the surfaces defined by the matching long sides, when the surface defined by any chosen side is made the base of the triangular cylinder, the angle of the apex of the triangular cylinder can be changedxe2x80x94wherein setting the convertible triangular pillow against the underside of the lower legs to flex the lower legs and mitigate tension in the iliopsoas muscles enables correction of lumbosacral anteroposterior curvature into a condition, as far as truly upright, at will.
Alternatively, the abovementioned three types of pads B, C and D and the above-described convertible triangular pillow are employed in combination, according to individual differences/differences in figure, making it possible to correct lumbosacral anteroposterior curvature into a condition, as far as truly upright, at will.
The foregoing invention relates to aids for chiropractic therapy used accompanying chiropractic treatment, and rendered chiropractic aids lent the capacity to release tension in the muscle groups that act to form anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region of the spine, so as to enable correcting anteroposterior curvature in the lumbosacral region to be close to truly upright.
Then lone or combined use of the three types of wedge-shaped padxe2x80x94which are the short-span wedge-shaped pad B, the mid-span wedge-shaped pad C, and the long-span wedge-shaped pad Dxe2x80x94as well as the convertible triangular pillow, and employing in combination with knee pillow E and rectangular pillow F was effective in that individual differences, such as different physiques and figures, could be handled.
Nevertheless, a drawback has been that kinds of chiropractic aids employed to handle individual differences such as differences in physique and figure have been numerous.
The present invention remedies the drawback just noted, making it possible to handle individual differences such as differences in physique and figure by means of a simple chiropractic therapy aid.
The present invention is employed accompanying chiropractic therapy to correct anteroposterior curvatures in the lumbosacral region of the spine, wherein as a chiropractic treatment aid, a convertible triangular pillow is principally utilized.
From the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art.